Paris, January 8, 2020 – Vinexpo Holding (held by the Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry – CCIBG) and Comexposium (global event organiser) have entered into exclusive negotiations to create a new joint venture entity. This new JV responds to the constantly changing and developing global wine and spirits industry and would create the foremost global organiser dedicated to the industry.
- The new entity will be the world’s leading organiser of events dedicated to wines and spirits, with annual figures of over 78,000 visitors from 140 countries and 5,900 exhibitors.
- With equal stakes, the new entity will benefit from the international reach and expertise of Vinexpo, an internationally reputed brand, specialised in organising professional events in the wine and spirits sector, and Comexposium, the world’s 3rd largest events organiser.
- The new entity will boast a portfolio of 10 iconic events: Vinexpo (Bordeaux, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and New York) as well as the Vinexpo Explorer events from Vinexpo Holding, Wine Paris (Vinisud/Vinovision Paris), World Wine Meetings and World Bulk Wine Exhibition (Amsterdam and Asia) from Comexposium.
- Further, the new business will look to create new events and developments to support the international growth of the wine and spirits industry.
- The project is supported by all the strategic advisors including the Vinexpo Strategic Committee and the Boards of Vinisud and VinoVision Paris.
“In a global economic environment, this commitment to working together is a significant step to serve the development of businesses in the wine and spirits sector. Thanks to this alliance, the Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry intends to create a powerful flagship brand which will proudly defend French colours abroad”, said CCIBG President Patrick Seguin.
“The alliance we are building marks a significant turning point for the world of wines and spirits. It will allow us to extend our influence, develop a portfolio of must-attend events and meet the expectations of markets throughout the world”, confirmed Vinexpo Board Chairman Christophe Navarre.
Pierre Clément, Chairman of AVS and of the VinoVision Paris Board of Directors stated: “Bringing these two entities closer together is a totally novel approach for our industry! We started our partnership in 2019 and now, we want to make it stronger and more established with a shared commitment to join forces bringing our knowledge and expertise together.”
Fabrice Rieu, Chairman of the Vinisud Board of Directors, added: “This joint initiative is a historical moment for our brand and all its stakeholders, allowing France, with its richness and expertise, to regain its place on the centre of the world stage as a reference and leader in professional events dedicated to wines and spirits”.
Surpassing expectations of the industry
In May 2019, Vinexpo Holding and Comexposium announced that their two events, Vinexpo Paris and Wine Paris, would be held at the same venue in Paris. From the 10th to the 12th of February 2020, the event will attract many national and international buyers, thereby ensuring maximum impact for wine and spirits producers, merchants and brands.
On the strength of the success of this joint project, the organisers have wanted to take their partnership a step further by creating a new structure based in France. The new entity will implement a strong and broad offer, with events geared to the 3 main market segments (bulk wines, entry-level to premium wines and spirits, super-premium to luxury wines and spirits).
“By bringing our skills and expertise closer together, the professionals in the wine and spirits sector will have a key partner for their business development, able to support them year-round and throughout the world”, commented Vinexpo Holding CEO Rodolphe Lameyse.
Creating opportunities for international development
In a particularly demanding environment for international trade, faced with an uncertain geopolitical context and rapidly changing markets, the new combined entity will benefit from French excellence and expertise to boost the quality of business relations in the global wine and spirits sector.
As the world’s second-ranked producer and consumer of wines and leading exporter (in value), France is recognised for the quality and diversity of its wines. In addition, the country stands out thanks to its exceptional know-how and wine-producing regions.
The single entity created will allow both stakeholders to make the most of all international development opportunities. Vinexpo Holding and Comexposium are already present in many countries and continents and now aim to play a more significant role on the Asian and American markets.
Comexposium Division Director Laurent Noël explained: “This alliance will strengthen the international strategy of Comexposium in wines and spirits and will create value for all stakeholders, with bellwether events and an increasing presence throughout the world.”
Supported by thirteen interprofessional stakeholders, the Vinexpo Strategic Committee as well as the Boards of Directors of Vinisud and of Vinovision Paris, the project should be finalised before this summer.
About Vinexpo
Since its establishment in Bordeaux in 1981, on the initiative of Bordeaux Gironde’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vinexpo has been a leading organizer of events for the wine and spirits industry. In 39 years, Vinexpo has developed a unique understanding of the market and an extensive network of key distributors around the world. The brand currently runs exhibitions in five set locations (Bordeaux, Hong Kong, New York, Shanghai and soon Paris), and the touring event Vinexpo Explorer. Every year, the Group also publishes the Vinexpo/IWSR Report, which is the most comprehensive survey on the global consumption of wine and spirits. www.vinexpo.com
About Comexposium
Comexposium is one of the world’s leading event organizers. Globally, it hosts more than 135 B2B and B2B2C events across many different sectors, significantly in agriculture, construction, fashion, food, health, leisure, real estate, retail, security, students, tourism, and works council. At events, in over 30 countries, Comexposium welcomes more than 3,5 million visitors and 48,000 exhibitors annually. Headquartered in France, Comexposium’s employees and sales network operate in 22 countries.
Comexposium aims to be seen as the place to be, building bridges between people and business. www.comexposium.com
